The present invention relates generally to a drill pipe for an oil or gas well and more particularly to a drill pipe having an internally coated conductive material for providing an electrical pathway for electronic data obtained down hole to be efficiently transmitted to the surface of an oil or gas well.
Currently there exist tools in the oil and gas well industry that are specifically designed to obtain drilling and geological parameters downhole, near the drill bit. In some instances, the information obtained by these tools is stored in memory devices. In such cases, the stored information can be retrieved when the memory devices are returned to the surface of the well. This system, however, produces an undesirable lag time between the initial collection and storing of the downhole information and the retrieval of the downhole information at the surface of the well.
As an alternative, the downhole information can be transmitted to the surface of the well using pressure pulses in the drilling fluid. However, this method also produces an undesirable lag time caused by the time a pressure pulse takes to reach the surface. Accordingly, a need exists for a method and a system of transmitting data instantaneously and efficiently to the surface of a well.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a drill pipe for an oil or gas well comprising a generally cylindrical hollow drill pipe having an inner diameter, an outer insulative coating is attached to the inner diameter of the drill pipe, a conductive coating is attached to the outer insulative coating, and an inner insulative coating is attached to the conductive coating, wherein the outer insulative coating, the conductive coating and the inner insulative coating together define an insulated electrical pathway from an upper end of the drill pipe to a lower end of the drill pipe.
Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of the above described drill pipes adjacently connecting to form a drill string, wherein a connector is positioned between each adjacently connected drill pipe to electrically connect the insulated electrical pathway of each drill pipe to the insulated electrical pathway of the corresponding adjacent drill pipe to establish an insulated electrical pathway from an upper end of the drill string to a lower end of the drill string.
A further exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the above described drill string, wherein each drill pipe inner diameter further comprises, an upper annular recess at an upper end of each drill pipe and a lower annular recess at a lower end of each drill pipe. The outer insulative coating is attached to the inner diameter, the upper annular recess and the lower annular recess of each drill pipe. An upper and a lower conductive sleeve is attached to the outer insulative coating in the upper and lower annular recess, respectively, of each drill pipe. The conductive coating is attached to the outer insulative coating and to the upper and lower conductive sleeves to establish an electrical pathway from the upper end to the lower end of each drill pipe. The inner insulative coating is attached to the conductive coating of each drill pipe, to insulate the electrical pathway of each drill pipe.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of communicating to downhole oil or gas well equipment comprising: providing a generally cylindrical hollow drill pipe having an inner diameter; attaching an outer insulative coating to the inner diameter of the drill pipe; attaching a conductive coating to the outer insulative coating; and attaching an inner insulative coating to the conductive coating, such that the outer insulative coating, the conductive coating and the inner insulative coating together define an insulated electrical pathway from an upper end of the drill pipe to a lower end of the drill pipe.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of communicating to downhole oil or gas well equipment comprising: providing a plurality of generally cylindrical hollow drill pipes wherein each drill pipe comprises an inner diameter; mating each drill pipe with a corresponding adjacent drill pipe to form a drill string; attaching an outer insulative coating to the inner diameter of each drill pipe; attaching a conductive coating to the outer insulative coating of each drill pipe; attaching an inner insulative coating to the conductive coating of each drill pipe, wherein for each drill pipe the outer insulative coating, the conductive coating and the inner insulative coating together define an insulated electrical pathway from an upper end of the drill pipe to a lower end of the drill pipe; and providing a connector that electrically connects the insulated electrical pathway of each drill pipe to the insulated electrical pathway of the corresponding adjacent drill pipe of each drill pipe to establish an insulated electrical pathway from an upper end of the drill string to a lower end of the drill string.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes a method of communicating to downhole oil or gas well equipment comprising: providing a plurality of the above described drill pipes, and forming in the inner diameter of each drill pipe an upper annular recess at an upper end of each drill pipe and a lower annular recess at a lower end of each drill pipe; attaching the outer insulative coating to the inner diameter, the upper annular recess and the lower annular recess of each drill pipe; attaching an upper and a lower conductive sleeve to the outer insulative coating in the upper and lower annular recess, respectively, of each drill pipe; attaching the conductive coating to the outer insulative coating and to the upper and lower conductive sleeves to establish an electrical pathway from the upper end to the lower end of each drill pipe; attaching the inner insulative coating to the conductive coating of each drill pipe, to insulate the electrical pathway of each drill pipe; and providing the connector that electrically connects the insulated electrical pathway of each drill pipe to the insulated electrical pathway of the corresponding adjacent drill pipe of each drill pipe to establish an insulated electrical pathway from an upper end of the drill string to a lower end of the drill string.